BRRRR Here a Few Tips To Save Some Energy

Suddenly winter here is here and I find myself standing in front of my thermostat disbelieving the temperature reading of the room, and wondering should I push the heat setting up. We all want to be budget conscious where our utility bills are concerned, but we also want to be comfortable in our home. Here are a few affordable things that can be done to winterize our homes.

•       Block Air Leaks. To find these leaks use an incense stick and walk around the house holding it in front of suspect areas such as windows, door frames, recessed lighting, and electrical outlets. Use door sweeps to close the space at the bottom of doors, and apply caulk to doors and windows where needed. Use outlet gaskets to the electrical outlets
•       Add More Insulation. The rule of thumb is a home needs a minimum of 12 inches of insulating in your attic. If you can see the ceiling joists you know you don’t have enough because a joist is at most 10 or 11 inches. When laying atop of existing insulation don’t use the insulation with the paper backing as the paper acts as a vapor barrier which can cause moisture problems.
•       Check the Furnace. Schedule a maintenance check for your furnace/HVAC unit. Also you should be changing the filter on your furnace on a regular basis. (monthly)
•       Clean and Check The Duct-work. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a home with central heating can lose up to 60% of its heated air before that air reaches the vents if duct-work is not well-connected and insulated, or if it must travel through unheated spaces. Make sure all the connections to the vents are snug, and that none of the duct-work is pinched reducing airflow. If the duct-work has not been cleaned in several years, then it’s time to schedule this. All the gunk that floats down the vents into the duct-work can reduce airflow in addition to causing respiratory problems.
•       Fix Leaky Windows. If you have storm windows, definitely put them in. If you don’t you can purchase a window insulator kit. The kit is a sheet of plastic that you ‘shrink wrap’ to the interior of your window using a hair dryer to tighten the seal. This can be removed in the spring. Replace old caulking with a fresh bead along the exterior of the windows. Watch this
  
  1 minute video on window caulking from the Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford website.
•       Reverse Your Ceiling Fan. This is one of the easiest things that can be done. Don’t waste the heat, push it back down by simply switching the direction of your ceiling fan.
•       Wrap the Pipes. Check for pipes that pass through unheated spaces that are not insulated and wrap them with either fiberglass insulation or rubber sleeves.